Chapter 1851: Shier (I)
Pure qi swirled gently as more white qi drifted through the pavilion. A bronze-like jade platform shone brilliantly within, and a man in an ink-black robe stood beside it, intricate runes reflected in his eyes.
A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes. When the clan exchanged its immortal merits for cultivation techniques back then, they had spent almost everything, leaving only twelve merits. Before entering seclusion, he had defeated Daisi and crippled Chilu, bringing the total to seventy-seven.
Yet now, the total stood at a full two hundred and ninety-six merits!
Li Ximing had made few gains while he cultivated in seclusion. That meant the Battle of Baixiang alone had earned them two hundred and nineteen immortal merits!
An astonishing sum!
Kills earn the most immortal merits. Slaying Chengyan back then brought only fifty-seven, and Nuxiao thirty-five… Daisi and Chilu, whom I failed to kill, earned only sixty-five between them…
That gives me a rough measure of what a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator with one divine ability or a Merciful One is worth. Guangchan was a Fifth Incarnation Maha and a Buddhist cultivator, so his value should far exceed that of an ordinary mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. Even so… it would not necessarily reach more than two hundred.
It seems that, as the favored recipient of the [Jeweled Fang Golden Land]'s blessings, he was something of a minor Buddhist land's master. That must have added quite a considerable amount!
Li Zhouwei considered this for a while, thoroughly pleased, and sneered inwardly, I wonder how many immortal merits Que Liyu and Chief Jiang are worth!
[Severed Crimson Arrowhead] had remedied his lack of mobility. Slaying Guangchan in this battle had also taught Li Zhouwei much, and he already had plans in mind.
"For charging into battle, I have [Sovereign In Peril]. For movement, [Severed Crimson Arrowhead]. For suppression, [Heaven-Venerating Gate]. I have covered every aspect. Apart from those few Grand Daoist Masters and great Mahas, no one can claim to reliably overpower me. Yet I still have shortcomings.
"I have ample ability to dominate, but I lack the means to deliver a quick killing blow."
The spirit treasures wielded by Yang Ruizao and Tinglan had played a major part in enabling Li Zhouwei to slay Guangchan. If he had faced an enemy alone, suppressing and then killing them would still require him to contend with the cumbersome slowness of [Heaven-Venerating Gate] and the [Brilliant Yang King's Axe].
The fourth-grade [Heavenly Radiance, Hidden Light] can no longer keep pace with my divine abilities. Empowered by [Severed Crimson Arrowhead], [Imperial Divergence Light] is quite formidable, and can even suppress a mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator of Tuoba Ci's caliber. Yet it is ultimately the light of Yang Apex. It excels at winning through unconventional means, rather than meeting an enemy head-on, and lacks the power to slay them in a direct confrontation.
I need an art that can meet the enemy head-on!
Yet however much Li Zhouwei searched, his brows remained tightly furrowed. Nothing quite satisfied him.
The arts available here fell broadly into two categories. The first followed Bright Yang's imperial Dao, suppressing enemies with resplendent imperial might. Most drew upon the imagery of [Heaven-Venerating Gate] and [Sovereign In Peril], but remained ponderous at their core. Without other means to hem them in, enemies could split into smaller groups, draw upon the aspect of those outside imperial authority, and vanish among the common people, making them difficult to restrain.
The second drew upon the imagery of [Everbright Platform] and [Bright And Clear Heart], following Zhaoming's[1] Dao of immortal cultivation through gathering Yin to replenish Yang. These arts were versatile and adaptable, some scarcely resembling Bright Yang's mystics at all, but they rarely possessed the overwhelming force needed to slay an enemy.
As he continued searching, the arts he considered grew increasingly expensive. He could only relax his requirements slightly and include Radiant Fire, then weigh their compatibility with his divine abilities. Only then did he find a few arts to his liking.
Eventually, he came upon the Radiant Fire and Bright Yang art [Southern Emperor's Profound Seizure Art], and the Supreme Yang and Bright Yang art [Scripture of Invoking the Sun and Manifesting Yang].
The [Southern Emperor's Profound Seizure Art] was fundamentally an art of Radiant Fire. It brought one's nature and life into resonance with the great void to construct a snare of considerable power. More remarkable still, the art was rooted in the great void. Once summoned, the snare would descend out of thin air above the enemy's head. Not only was it extremely difficult to guard against, it could also bind anyone it struck.
That alone greatly appealed to Li Zhouwei.
On the other hand, the [Scripture of Invoking the Sun and Manifesting Yang] was founded upon [Supreme Yang], but likewise possessed powers of binding and division. It drew upon Supreme Yang's ancient divine ability [Heaven-Overseeing Rule], now known as [Divided Yang Hairpin], to shatter divine abilities and lock an enemy's form in place, preventing both escape and concealment.
Both had their merits. The [Southern Emperor's Profound Seizure Art] had broader applications, while the [Scripture of Invoking the Sun and Manifesting Yang] possessed greater killing power. After a lengthy comparison, Li Zhouwei ultimately chose the former.
Radiant Fire and Bright Yang are closely aligned, after all. Supreme Yang is not far removed, but the difficulty would be much greater. Besides, the [Southern Emperor's Profound Seizure Art] brings one's nature and life into resonance with the great void. My fate is extraordinary, which should make it easier to cultivate.
There was also one minor consideration. The [Scripture of Invoking the Sun and Manifesting Yang] was connected to Supreme Yang, and anything involving Yin and Yang soared in value. It cost a full seventy immortal merits more than the other art!
Granduncle still has several arts waiting to be cultivated, enough to occupy him for a century or two. He will not need more anytime soon. But two juniors will soon emerge from seclusion, and we must procure cultivation techniques for them… Best to save where we can.
He burned incense and offered a prayer to those above, awaiting their reply. After spending one hundred and ten immortal merits, he returned to his cultivation chamber and quietly entered meditation.
————
The courtyard was magnificent. An enormous dark tree stood at its center, its yellow-green foliage spreading overhead. Pale red flower buds nestled among the branches, a particularly pleasing sight. The formation's purple-gold radiance filtered through the canopy, scattering patches of light across the ground.
Wanlin Blossoms had flowered at Moongaze Lake for generations, and the Li Family had always tended this spirit root well. In little more than a century, it had flourished to the point where its trunk had grown so thick that several people were needed to encircle it.
The normally clean, level ground was now covered with hills of spirit rice, gleaming gold beneath the light. A little urn shrouded in profound radiance floated in the air, swallowing the rice like a great whale drawing in water.
Li Xuanxuan stood beside the steps for a while, then offered praise tinged with dismay at the expenditure. "A Purple Mansion Realm spirit artifact truly is extraordinary!"
The Daoist Master in green beside him immediately replied with a courteous smile, "Old elder! It is a spirit treasure, after all. An ordinary Daoist Master could never hope to obtain one. I, Qinghu, am deeply envious!"
Though Li Xuanxuan's cultivation was low, his standing was now exalted. After hearing that Li Zhouwei had slain Guangchan, Sima Yuanli could not even muster jealousy. Eager to ingratiate himself, he adopted an exceedingly humble manner.
Li Xuanxuan shook his head repeatedly. "You are too kind, my lord…"
Sima Yuanli had come to guard the lake. But Li Ximing had another purpose in mind when he had specifically invited him along. Now, standing with his hands behind his back, Li Ximing smiled as the last stream of spirit rice flowed into the urn and called, "Come!"
At his command, the little urn immediately dropped into his palm, casting a hazy black light. The Daoist Master said, "Although this [Sacrificial Grain Soil] has been refined, it still needs nourishment from spirit materials. Let it eat its fill now, and we will not need to tend to it for several decades."
Such mystics were truly beyond a lesser cultivator's imagination. Li Xuanxuan let out a long sigh, staring at the treasure for some time before saying, "It is just like a living thing!"
1. One of the six founding kings/ ☜